Which of the following represents an order of increasing reactivity?

To determine the order of increasing reactivity of the elements listed, it's important to understand the general trends in metal reactivity. Metals react by losing electrons, and their reactivity is often influenced by their ability to lose these electrons easily. In many cases, generally, alkali metals are the most reactive, and noble metals are the least reactive. Here's a basic description of the reactivity of the given metals:

• Calcium (Ca): An alkaline earth metal, it is highly reactive and will readily react with water and acids.
• Iron (Fe): A transition metal, less reactive than calcium, but it will rust (react with oxygen) and react with acids.
• Tin (Sn): Also a metal, less reactive than iron, but it can still react with acids.
• Copper (Cu): Another transition metal, copper is less reactive than tin and does not react with water easily, though it will slowly react with oxygen over time.
• Gold (Au): A noble metal, gold is very unreactive, which is why it's used for jewelry and electronics.

With these considerations in mind, the order of increasing reactivity from the given options would be:

Gold (Au) < Copper (Cu) < Tin (Sn) < Iron (Fe) < Calcium (Ca)

This is the order where the least reactive element is first (gold), and the most reactive element is last (calcium). Hence, the correct option represents the order: Au < Cu < Sn < Fe < Ca.